Settling for Life
by Hawkins437
Summary: After a tiring campaign to save The Commonwealth and restore the Minutemen, the Sole Survivor decides to finally settle down. A collection of one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

„They lay together. He, dark on alabaster white. A forbidden fruit. A box of chocolates waiting to be opened."

She giggles, casting the book aside. The silliest erotic novel she's ever read. The silliest one ever written, most likely.

Her gaze wanders to Preston, stretched on the couch beside her.

"Are you my piece of chocolate waiting to be unwrapped?" she asks.

The words make her giggle all over again. _Why this book—of all the possible items—survived the fallout?_

He laughs, "I think that's enough Dirty Wastelander for you, General."

"You're no fun!" she protests, but then he sweeps her into his arms and all she can do is squeal as he carries her to their bedroom and lays her down on the worn-out mattress.

"That is to show you I can be fun." He says.

Afterwards, he slides into the bed next to her, leaning in closer he whispers, "And as for your question… I'll let you find that out." and before she can speak, he silences her lips with his.

* * *

They lay together. He, dark on alabaster white of her skin.

In his arms she feels warmer—she senses a brighter future awaits her at his side. A more hopeful future for all. The Commonwealth. One day, maybe even the Wasteland as a whole.

… or maybe it's just all the Dirty Wastelander.


	2. Chapter 2

She wakes him in the dark of the night, shaking his shoulder ever so slightly.

"Preston," she whispers. "Preston."

The sound of his name on her lips alerts him to the waking world, slowly drawing forth his consciousness. Lazily, he spins around, opening his eyes to the dimness of the lamplight in their bedroom.

"Yes, babe?" he says.

"The settlement needs your help."

"It does?" he mutters, almost falling asleep, but then his mind springs to attention. _The settlement needs help! Is it the Gunners? The Raiders? A super mutant attack?_ he wonders swiftly, sitting up on the bed, his hand stretching towards the musket by the bedside. A soft laugh from a woman beside him stops him in an instant.

Only then do his ears pick up another sound—a baby's cry from the neighbouring room, growing more intense with each passing second until it is a wail echoing in the night air of otherwise silent Sanctuary. Soon joined by a low growl of the dog outside.

"See what I meant? It's your turn now, hon." she says.

"All right, I'll go save the settlement from sleeplessness." he says, pressing a quick kiss on her lips before going to mind his new-born son next door.


	3. Chapter 3

When he first met her, he was struggling with depression. He has lost so much that month, so many friends, people he felt responsible for. There was so little to live for, so much struggle to just make the effort. Then she appeared in Concord and turned his life back on tracks. Saved him. Pulled him from deepest abyss of his mind.

Loving her came naturally to him; she brought hope to a desperate place. With over a thousand problems of her own, she was set on helping others above her needs. She saved his people when he couldn't bear to care anymore. Gave them Sanctuary. They needed her; he needed her—from that need admiration was born, and farther yet—love in its purest form.

But she had lost her family—her husband; and though for the world over two hundred years passed, for her it was a mere moment ago, the loss fresh in her memory. He dared not to hope for more.

 _"_ _I don't have to stop loving him to be able to love you, too."_ she said before they first kissed.

Now, years after, they have a life, a family, together. Their son thrives—as much as one can in the Wasteland. They're everything Preston never dared hope for.

They named him after her first husband. He has his mother's eyes and Preston's hair and skin—a bit of their past and present united in a single precious life. He's a gift Preston never dared hope for.

Soon, Nathan will outgrow the slingshot his mother made for him when he could barely walk, and the time will come to teach him to use a real weapon.

He secures the stock with some duct tape—a finishing touch on his small project. He chambers a single round and fires at the nearby practice target. He's turned one of the backyards into a small shooting range—there he taught other settlers how to defend themselves and their home. Even her.

Silently, he evaluates his work. He finds the recoil optimal—not too violent for Nathan's small arms. Accuracy appears lacking at a longer range, but it would suffice for training.

It's a simple pipe rifle, but for the start it'll do. His son's first gun.

He smiles to himself when she calls them in for dinner. He can't wait to show them both.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I imagine that female Sole Survivor, being a law graduate and not ex-military like her spouse, might be able to handle small firearms such as pistols (it's USA, after all, nearly everyone has a gun), but probably not all of the various types of guns she encounters throughout the game. So I took the liberty to fill in the blanks by picturing her doing target practice with Preston at some point, since he's obviously a skilled marksman himself._


End file.
